Kelowna

New face at fire hall

A new Deputy Chief Fire Prevention and Life Safety Officer will take over at the Big White Fire Department.

Derek Henderson will take on the role later this month, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary announced Sunday.

“We are excited to have Derek on board. He has the right skills and experience to deal with the increasing complexity of firefighting and emergency response," said Jamie Svendsen, Fire Chief at Big White Fire Department. "His new role reflects our focus on firefighter safety and wellness so we can protect Big White effectively."

Henderson is from Courtenay, B.C., where he spent the last 10-years as an active, paid-on-call firefighter, project estimator and safety coordinator.

He served as chair of the Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department Society.

Henderson joins the department on Feb. 19.

He takes over from Captain Fire Prevention Officer Chris Dailey who retired in December 2017 after a decade with the Big White department.

Dailey will continue to serve the community as a paid-on-call firefighter.